More than 20 people in 14 provinces detained 4 spreading rumors

Recently, public security organs in many places have investigated and dealt with a number of illegal acts of intentionally spreading rumors on the Internet.

Below are some of the cases by provinces:

Heilongjiang

On the night of January 24, a message was shared on Wechat groups and Moments in Daqing:

"Important notice! Duyang is from Datong District, Daqing city. Recently came back from Wuhan and is carrying a large number of a novel coronavirus, Daqing people for your family safety, please forward!"

After receiving the news, Daqing police quickly found out the truth: Du Yang has not been to Wuhan, nor has a fever. His friend Liu Mou (male, 19 years old, from Anda City) sent the above message on the Moments when he was at home in Anda City at about 9:00 p.m. on January 24, causing a large number of Internet users to repost and spread, thus disturbing social order and causing panic among Daqing citizens.

Daqing police contacted Liu that night and ordered him to quickly delete the rumor from his Moments and clarify the information.

On the same day, Daqing police quickly reported him to the Anda police. On January 26, Anda police, in accordance with Article 25 of the law on administrative penalties for public security, detained Liu for 7 days and fined him 500 yuan for spreading rumors and disturbing public order.

Guangxi

On January 25, Rongan police investigated and punished two persons who published rumors about "new coronavirus pneumonia" on the Internet after receiving reports from the public and through internet monitoring. 

According to the law, the public security organ found out that at noon on the day of the crime, Luo released an unverified video of "two people in a town of Rongan County diagnosed with new coronavirus pneumonia" on his WeChat Moments. Although he was warned by the netizens, Luo still went his own way and didn't delete the rumor information in time. At the time he was captured by the public security organ, his post had already been liked and commented by many people, which ha ad negative impact on the society.

At present, Luo's behavior was determined as:

Spreading rumors of the epidemic situation and deliberately disturbing public order, he has been put under administrative detention by public security organs according to law.

At noon on the same day, Wu Mous published false information related to the novel coronavirus pneumonia on a social networking platform, but soon after being reminded by netizens, Wu deleted the relevant information in time to eliminate the impact and correctly acknowledged his mistakes after the case was filed. In view of Wu's slight violation of the law, the public security organ gave him an oral warning and education according to the law.

Zhejiang

• On January 22, a netizen from Ruian posted a message in Baidu TieBa, saying that 5 days ago he came back from Wuhan, and now is feeling dizzy and coughs all the time. Netizens suggested that he should go to the hospital for medical examination. But he said that he has already bought two movie tickets, adding that he will go to the hospital for medical examination after watching the movie. The post's screenshot was later posted to Weibo by other netizens attracting a lot of attention and concern.

After the police investigation, the netizen was identified as Chen Mou (male, 31 years old, born in Ruian, Wenzhou), had not left Wenzhou and had no symptoms related to pneumonia. In order to attract netizens' attention and "prank" mentality, he made false comments on the Internet. He was detained by the public security organ for disturbing public order using false information.

• On January 24, a netizen in Cixi posted a photo with the words "this person brought a lot of viruses back to Cixi from Wuhan, hope you can quickly forward" on Wechat moments, and it was forwarded by netizens in large numbers.

Investigations later found that the user, a 23-year-old Internet user from Leshan, Sichuan Province, had a grudge against Xu Mou(the man on the picture) due to some disagreements on business cooperation, so he edited the photos and started spreading rumors against him on the internet. The netizen was detained by Cixi police for spreading rumors and disturb public order.

• On January 24, a netizen from Yongkang posted a message on his WeChat Moments saying: "Spent new year in the hospital." But he photoshopped the content of his CT image diagnosis report to read "Novel coronavirus infection, the patient should stay in the hospital for observation and isolation", and he commented, "I'm sorry, I passed  Wuhan and end up like this".

The netizen was detained by the public security organ for disturbing public order using fictitious facts.

Chongqing

On January 23, Wang Mou (female, 35 years old, from Shapingba District) spread rumors on her Moments saying that "Chongqing Shapingba, Jiangbei District and Yubei district has started being controlled". On the same day, Liu Mou (male, 26 years old, from Tongliang District) spread rumors on the Wechat group that "Panxi and Shimahe areas in Jiangbei have been locked down by the police".

After the investigation, it was proved that Wang and Liu made up and spread rumors and created panic for the purpose of attracting people's attention. They were both detained by the police.

On January 24, Wang Mou (female, 27 years old, from Shapingba District) was detained by Yongchuan police after she edited some of the information about the prevention and treatment of the epidemic by the government departments on the Internet, she was accused of spreading rumors by changing the context, causing adverse effects.

Hebei

At about 21:00 on January 24, the internet security team of Pingquan Public Security Bureau found that one netizen published the information that said "six infected persons (pneumonia patients infected with new coronavirus) have appeared in Pingquan, and the second hospital is the isolation area" in the WeChat group. Upon verification with Pingquan Health Bureau, it was confirmed that no confirmed or suspected cases of pneumonia with new coronavirus infection have been found in Pingquan before the issuance of that message. The information released by this netizen was proved to be rumors at 22:00 on January 24. Pingquan Public Security Bureau summoned the rumor maker Li Mou (female, 35 years old) according to law.

After interrogation, on the evening of January 24, in order to attract the attention of friends, Li Mou released false information that he made out of thin air in WeChat group "WeChat relatives" (291 members in the group).

At present, Li Mou has been detained for 5 days by the Municipal Public Security Bureau in accordance with the law.

Guizhou

On January 25, the police of the internet security brigade of Dejiang County Public Security Bureau found that: A netizen "Cjinne" published comments about the new pneumonia epidemic report on January 23, 2020, On the post by a Weibo account "多彩贵州" saying: 

"There are 6 confirmed cases in Dejiang, Tongren that have been put in the isolation area. I am a Dejiang, Tongren local, and the report saying that only two cases have been confirmed in Guizhou are completely false and opaque. So it's not that simple,  these data are all false reports. Afraid of the panic that the true data cause to society. The disadvantage is that these fake data make more people feel that they don't need to worry about this virus."

After finding the information, the police of the internet security brigade immediately started verification and investigation, and on January 25, Shen, the person behind the Weibo name "Cjinne", was arrested.

After inquiry: Shen, a 19-year-old resident of Yushui street in Dejiang County, confessed to spreading false epidemic information in his Weibo. He was detained for ten days by Dejiang Public Security Bureau for spreading false information.

Henan

On January 24, Wang Mou, 28, from Zhaobao Town, Wenxian County, commented on his Weibo that "Two patients have been found in Wenxian County, Henan Province, one was diagnosed, the other was under observation, but the two cases were not reported...". After verification, Wang's information was proved to be a rumor and was admonished by the public security organ according to law.

Also on January 24, Dong Mou (female, 24 years old) of Zhaobao Town, Wenxian County, posted on her personal Weibo that "the condition is far more serious than expected, one person has already died in Wenxian county, has it been reported? No!" among other comments. After verification, the information released by Dong was proved to be a rumor, and the public security organ detained him for 3 days according to law.

Shandong

On January 25, the online police of Donga County Public Security Bureau found that someone spread the rumor that "a virus infection was found in Jiali village, Donga County, and now the village has been blocked" in WeChat Moments.

Dong'a police quickly launched an investigation, and on the evening of January 25, the rumor maker Li Yalong (male, 33 years old, from gaodun village, guguantun Town, high tech Zone) was found. He confessed to the illegal act of fabricating and spreading rumor. The public security organ imposed administrative punishment on Li Yalong in accordance with the law.

Jiangsu

On January 23, Zhenjiang network police reported that a WeChat netizen named "Huazai" released rumors in the WeChat group, such as "the new pneumonia was brought out by the researchers of Wuhan Virus Research Institute", "SARS was caused by Beijing Virus Research Institute, don't be fooled by experts and so on", which caused panic among the masses.

It is found that Tang, a 31-year-old Internet user from Danyang, Zhenjiang, made up and released the above rumor information to attract others' attention. At present, Zhenjiang police have legally detained Tang for 5 days.

Zhenjiang Internet police remind the people: The internet is not a place that is not covered by the law and if you maliciously fabricate, spread rumors, disturb public order, the public security organs will deal with you according to the law.

Jiangxi

On the evening of January 24, Wu (male, 36 years old, from Xinfengjie town) spread rumors in the WeChat group that:

"Everyone don't go out tomorrow if it is not necessary. Today, someone in the Tangshang was infected and sent to the people's hospital."

After investigation, it was found out that Wu heard some gossip then went on to fabricate and spread rumors, resulting in adverse effects. At about 17:00 on January 25, Dexing Public Security Bureau found that a WeChat account named "大自然XX遮阳装饰" sent a message about a "serious situation, Huangbai has a confirmed case" on WeChat Moments, together with the distribution chart reported by the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic personnel in the province. After the information was released, it triggered the comments by the masses who didn't know it was fake and they also forwarded the message. In his reply to the comments, Yu made it clear that someone in Huangbai village suffered from the new type of coronavirus pneumonia, causing punic.

After investigation, it was found out that on January 25, when Yu was playing mahjong with his fellow villagers, he heard everyone talking about the new coronavirus pneumonia, so he wrote the above false information and published it in the circle of friends. At present, the perpetrator Yu Yuliang is detained for three days by Dexing Public Security Bureau.

Hainan

At about 17:11 on January 23, netizen "Han Han" spread rumors in a WeChat group, such as "there is a virus on the third west road of Haidian island", "there is one person dead at municipal garden", "now sealed up for disinfection", which caused a bad social impact.

According to the Haikou police, the real name of the netizen "Han Han" is Fu Anyuan, from Wenchang City, Hainan Province. Haikou Public Security Bureau, Meilan branch, Renmin Road police station timely brought Fu back from Wenchang for questioning. Fu confessed to the illegal act of publishing false statements. For this reason, Haikou police imposed a ten day administrative detention on Fu Anyuan according to law.

Shanxi

On January 24, the reporter learned that at about 17:00 on January 23, some netizens published rumors in the Wechat group, such as "Since returning from Wuhan I have had a fever but I refuse to go to the hospital for treatment", which caused public panic. BeiShiDian branch of Jincheng Public Security Bureau quickly organized forces to carry out an investigation, and at 19:00 p.m. found the information publisher Zhang Yipeng (male, 26 years old). Upon investigation, he has no relevant symptoms, and the rumor is only released to attract attention within the group.

At present, the police have carried out education and admonition on him. Zhang realized the harm of publishing false information and made a self-criticism on the spot.

Hunan

At about 21:00 on January 23, Fang Mou, the suspect, without verification, forwarded a piece of false epidemic information related to coronavirus infection pneumonia to the WeChat group of more than 200 people, causing panic among the group. After inquiry, the suspect confessed to the fact that he published false epidemic information in the WeChat group.

At present, in accordance with the provisions of Article 25 of the law of the people's Republic of China on administrative penalties for public security, Yueyang County Public Security Bureau punished the suspect for seven days of public security detention.

Guangdong

In recent days, the Chenghai police have been fully involved in the prevention and control of the epidemic. By strengthening the online patrol, they have investigated and punished four people who published and forwarded false information about the infection of people in the area. At present, the four people who published and forwarded false information have been criticized and educated by the public security organs.